FastRack · Gravity & sampling

FastRack Triple-Scale Brewing Hydrometer, Model 5451

A standalone floating glass hydrometer with specific-gravity, Balling and potential-alcohol scales for fermentation samples.

Price & purchase ↓

The glass hydrometer and protective tube. Bottles and jars in the use graphics are illustrative, not supplied sample vessels.

The equipment in use

How this item fits your brewing setup

Choose this reference when the measuring instrument is missing but you already have a suitable sample holder. It is a floating glass hydrometer for tracking fermentation samples, rather than a continuously transmitting sensor or an optical refractometer. The selected package supplies one instrument with its protective tube.

The selected scale declarations are specific gravity 0.990–1.170, Balling −3 to +35 and potential alcohol −2% to +22%. Use specific gravity to compare density before and after fermentation; the other two scales provide sugar and potential-alcohol references on the same instrument. Retain the starting reading so later measurements have a useful comparison.

The hydrometer must float freely in the sample without resting on the bottom or against the jar. Choose the jar using the actual instrument’s clearance, not a model-family length: this offer has conflicting 9 in and 10.7 in length information. No supplied test jar is established by the protective storage tube.

The potential-alcohol scale does not directly measure the strength of finished beer or wine. Compare the Fermtech testing set if you also need a sampler and holder, or the Tilt if you want readings transmitted from inside the fermenter. Those choices add different functions rather than another scale to this glass instrument.

The selected reference

Specifications & supplied details

Offered brand: FastRack
Listing model: 5451
Instrument: Floating glass hydrometer
Declared specific gravity: 0.990–1.170
Declared Balling: −3 to +35
Declared potential alcohol: −2% to +22%
Display: Printed analog scales
Supplied quantity: One hydrometer
Listed item weight: 0.07 kg
UPC: 798527033518

Before and during use

Advice for this reference

Before you choose

Confirm actual instrument length and sample-holder clearance before pairing it with a jar.

Also check

Choose this standalone instrument when sampling and holding equipment are already available.

Documented use & care

The selected care field says wipe clean. Handle the glass instrument carefully and follow its supplied instructions; no dishwasher or high-temperature permission is established.

Connections & scope

Fit and useful limits

If storage space or sampling reach is tight, confirm the overall length before ordering: one field states 9 in and the gallery states 10.7 in.
No battery,392°F heat rating,500 ms response specification, numerical accuracy tolerance or automatic bottling decision is established.
Selected extended Balling/potential scales are not replaced by another maker-page variant’s shorter scales.

Questions about this product

What else should you know?

Is the protective tube automatically a test jar?

It is shown as protection for the instrument. A proper test arrangement must let the hydrometer float freely; that function is not established for the supplied tube.

Can I get final alcohol strength from one reading?

The potential scale is not direct final ABV. Keep appropriate starting and later gravity readings for an estimate using a suitable brewing method.

Would an optical refractometer be the same purchase?

No. It reads a small sample optically and has different interpretation requirements after fermentation. This hydrometer floats in a larger sample.

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